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33-587: Mindon Min had the pagoda built as part of the traditional foundations of the new royal city of Mandalay in 1857. He was later to convene the Fifth Buddhist Synod in 1871, but wanted to leave a great work of merit by having the Tipitaka set in stone for posterity, meant to last five millennia after the Buddha . Construction began in 1860, its hti (umbrella or crown) mounted on 19 July 1862, and

66-566: A focus on remote hills and forest areas. One of his projects was to copy the Tripitakas donated by King Mindon onto marble slabs. In M.E. 1275 [C.E. 1913], in the compound of Sandamuni Pagoda , U Khandi inscribed Sutta , Vinaya and Abhidhamma from the Tipitaka . He included complete explanations on 1,772 stone slabs, as well as inscribing a historical record on an iron sheet and a stone slab. These stone slabs are: On 3 March 2011,

99-543: A great administrator and modernizer. During Mindon's reign, scholars were sent to France, Italy, the United States, and Great Britain, in order to learn about the tremendous progress achieved by the Industrial Revolution . During Mindon's reign, the following reforms were undertaken: centralization of the kingdom's internal administration, introduction of a salary system for the bureaucracy (to dampen

132-471: A missionary school. Mindon also fulfilled his responsibility as a pious Buddhist. He reasserted the king's role of being the protector of Buddha Sasana , convened the Fifth Buddhist council in 1871, and supported the work of scholar-monks and their returning to Lower Burma to teach. In 1866 two of Mindon's sons, Prince Myingun and Prince Myingundaing attempted a palace coup. Myingun claimed that

165-614: A picnic in the cool shade under these trees, picking the flowers to make star flower chains for the Buddha or to wear in their hair, or the children playing hide and seek among the rows of stupas. On the southwest inner terrace is one very old tree believed to be 250 years old, its low spreading boughs propped up by supports. After the annexation of Mandalay by the British in 1885, the walled city with Mandalay Palace became Fort Dufferin , and troops were billeted all around Mandalay Hill in

198-406: Is from the south through massive but open teak doors ornately carved with floral designs, scrolls, and Deva Nats . It is a covered approach or saungdan as in most Burmese pagodas with frescoes under the roof. Between the rows of stone-inscription stupas grow mature star flower trees ( Mimusops elengi ) that emanate a jasmine-like fragrance to the entire complex. Burmese families may be seen having

231-478: The Kuthodaw Pagoda at the foot of Mandalay Hill . In 1871 Mindon also donated a new hti ('umbrella' or crown gilded and encrusted with precious diamonds and other gems) to the 105-metre-tall (344 ft) Shwedagon Pagoda , which is located in then British held Yangon , although he was not allowed to visit this most famous and venerated pagoda in the country. On 15 August 1873, Mindon also enacted

264-705: The Kyaikhtisaung Sayadaw had 135 of the stone inscriptions brought to the Kyaikhtisaung Compound from Mandalay Hill . The Peshawar Relics ( three fragments of bone of the Gautama Buddha ) were kept in his dazaung from 1923 until after the Second World War when they were moved to a building at the foot of the hill and no longer on display. The Dhamma Cetis of Sandamuni Pagoda were built several decades after

297-611: The Kyaiktiyo Pagoda and at Taung Kalat . His work was not only recognised by the Burmese people but also the colonial British government , which gave him and his followers’ special privileges such as free travel certificates and work permits. U Khandi suffered minor paralysis for three years and died on 14 January 1949. Two years later funeral celebrations were held and he was cremated. U Khandi performed vast renovation projects throughout Myanmar during his lifetime, with

330-658: The Mandalay Hill and organised many religious activities for 40 years. U Khandi was born Maung Po Maung in Ywathaya Village , Yamethin District in 1868. U Khandi became hermit in 1900 and meditated at the Mandalay Thakho hill and Shwe-myin-tin hill. His goodwill organisation completed construction and renovation of several building pagodas and religious buildings at hilltops, such as those on

363-478: The kyauksa gu s were replaced with stone paid for by members of the royal family (155), former officers of the royal army (58), Shan Saophas and Myosas (102), and public donations (414). In 1913 Sir Po Tha, a rice trader of Rangoon , had the pagoda repaired and regilded. The next year, the Society of Pitaka Stone Inscriptions gave an iron gate to the south left open as the carved wooden panels had been destroyed by

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396-673: The world's largest book in the form of 729 marble slabs on which are inscribed the Tripitaka , were inscribed on to the Memory of the World Register . [REDACTED] Media related to Kuthodaw Pagoda at Wikimedia Commons Mindon Min Mindon Min ( Burmese : မင်းတုန်းမင်း , pronounced [mɪ́ɰ̃dóʊɰ̃ mɪ́ɰ̃] ; 1808 – 1878), born Maung Lwin , was the penultimate king of Burma (Myanmar) from 1853 to 1878. He

429-594: The British had ended, Mindon still faced considerable military difficulties, namely a revolt at Kanpyin and an attack from the neighboring Kingdom of Siam . In late 1853, Mindon won a pyrrhic victory against the Siamese, but when they returned again, he sent 3,000 cavalry supported by artillery, which finally stopped the Siamese encroachment upon Burmese land. King Mindon founded the last royal capital of Burma, Mandalay , in 1857. His younger brother Kanaung proved to be

462-711: The Burmese as an avid modernizer, who would go to the factories early on cold winter mornings with a blanket wrapped around him, just to talk to the mechanics about how the machines ran. He was in charge of the Royal Army, as was customarily required of Burmese crown princes, and he imported and manufactured guns, cannons and shells. Mindon was known for his Buddhist devotion and religious tolerance. He helped build monasteries and missionary schools for Buddhism. The first non- Sangha -run schools in Burma were run by Christians, and Mindon himself sent his son, Thibaw Min , to study in

495-499: The Crown Prince Kanaung was oppressive, and Kanaung was murdered during the revolt. Mindon escaped alive and the coup was crushed when Myingun fled in a steamer to British Burma. Rumours of British involvement are unsubstantiated, and no evidence exists showing their support for the revolt. While Mindon was escaping the palace, he ran into a would-be assassin, Maung Paik Gyi, who lost his nerve and grovelled in front of

528-550: The Himalayan kingdoms of the north of India, and the Irrawaddy Delta and their blockade of Burma caused a tightening of the food supply, the loss of trade through ports, an erosion of Burma as an imperial power, and the incorporation of Burma into the world market as a result. There was an atmosphere of reform due to translated works and better knowledge about the outside world. At the same time, migrations of people from

561-534: The Seventeen Articles, one of Southeast Asia's first indigenous press freedom laws. In 1875, during a royal consecration ceremony, Mindon took on the title Siripavaravijayanantayasa Paṇḍita Tribhavanadityadhipati Mahadhammarajadhiraja . With the opening of the Suez Canal , Mindon assembled a flotilla of steamers to facilitate trade with the British. His brother Kanaung is still remembered by

594-526: The authority and income of bureaucrats), fixed judicial fees, comprehensive penal laws, reorganization of the financial system, removal of trade barriers including custom duties, reform of the thathameda taxes (to increase direct taxation), and modernization of the kingdom's army and introduction of new police forces. A Burmese manuscript (Or 13681) held by the British Library depicts "seven scenes of King Mindon's donations at various places during

627-412: The capital, Ava , unopposed. Mindon thus ascended the throne with the regnal name of Thiri Thudhamma Tilawka Pawara Maha Dhamma Razadiraza on 18 February 1853. The early reign of Mindon was characterized by joint rule with Kanaung, who was allowed a large court and was designated Mindon's heir, as well as given control over matters of technology, modernization, and the arts. Behind Mindon's throne too

660-636: The dying king wanted to bid them farewell. Thibaw, Mindon's son from a lesser queen, succeeded him after his death in 1878. King Thibaw was defeated by the British in the Third Anglo-Burmese War in November 1885 resulting in total annexation of Burma. U Khandi U Khandi (1868 – 14 January 1949) was a Burmese hermit known for his works on Buddhist pagodas and other religious buildings in Myanmar . U Khandi maintained

693-541: The first four years of his reign (1853–57)", including a monastery, rest houses, and gifts for monks. Mindon introduced the first machine-struck coins to Burma, and in 1871 also held the Fifth Buddhist council in Mandalay. He had already created the world's largest book in 1868, the Tipitaka , 729 pages of the Buddhist Pali Canon inscribed in marble and each stone slab housed in a small stupa at

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726-420: The inscriptions were laid open to the public on 4 May 1868. They were arranged in neat rows within three enclosures, 42 in the first, 168 in the middle and 519 in the third. One more stands at the southeast corner of the first enclosure making it 730, and this stone records how it all came into being. Thirty four brick zayats (rest houses) stood all around except on the east side of the pagoda. The main entrance

759-542: The king. Mindon commanded him to carry him from the palace, which he promptly did. The rebellion caused Mindon great reluctance in naming a successor to Kanaung for fear of civil war. One of his queens, Hsinbyumashin , dominated the last days of King Mindon. It was an edict by Hsinbyumashin that ordered almost all possible heirs to the throne be killed, so that her daughter Supayalat and son-in-law Thibaw would become queen and king. Close royals of all ages and both genders were mercilessly executed, after being tricked that

792-597: The letters as well as the sides and top of each marble slab had also disappeared. All the biloos along the corridors had lost their heads, and the marble eyes and claws from the masonry chinthes gone. In 1892, a committee of senior monks, members of the royal family and former officers of the king, including Atumashi Sayadaw (the Abbot of Atumashi Monastery ), Kinwon Min Gyi U Kaung (chancellor), Hleithin Atwinwun (minister of

825-515: The monasteries, temples and pagodas. They became off-limits to the public and Burmese were no longer allowed to visit their religious sites. One revenue surveyor called U Aung Ban then came up with the idea of appealing direct to Queen Victoria since she had promised to respect all religions practised by her subjects. To their amazement and great joy the British queen promptly ordered the withdrawal of all her troops from religious precincts in 1890. This however turned to great sadness when they found that

858-593: The national core to Lower Burma , controlled by the British, were sapping Burma of its labor and taxes. Mindon took the throne following a bloody conflict of succession with his half-brother, Pagan Min . Under Pagan, Mindon was the president of the Council of State, and was presiding as the Second Anglo-Burmese War began. He was against the continuation of the war and favored an unpopular program of appeasement. Mindon's most loyal ally at this time

891-464: The pagoda had been looted from the hti , left lying on the ground stripped of its bells, gold, silver, diamonds, rubies and other precious stones, down to the Italian marble tiles from its terraces. The zayat s lay in utter ruin and the bricks had been used to build a road for the troops. All the brass bells from all the kyauksa gu stupas were gone, 9 on each making it 6570 in total. The gold ink from

924-500: The royal fleet), Yaunghwe Saopha Sir Saw Maung and Mobyè Sitkè (a general of the royal army), was formed to start restoration works with the help and donations from the families of the original donors according to custom and also from the public. It was the sitkè who asked permission from the senior monks to plant the hkayei star flower trees as well as some meze ( Madhuca longifolia ) trees. Gold letters were replaced with black ink which made it easier to read. The metal hti s of

957-511: The soldiers. The west gate was donated by the famous zat mintha (theatre performer) U Po Sein the following year, and the north and east gates by the children and grandchildren of King Mindon in 1932. In 1919 the hermit U Khandi led the rebuilding of the south and west saungdan s (covered approaches). In 2013, UNESCO plaque indicating that the Maha Lawkamarazein or Kuthodaw Inscription Shrines at Kuthodaw Pagoda, which contain

990-577: Was born Maung Lwin in 1808, a son of Tharrawaddy Min and Chandra Mata Mahay, Queen of the south Royal Chamber. He studied at the Maha Zawtika monastic college in Amarapura until the age of 23, and he held deep respect for religion and religious scholarship throughout his entire life. Mindon grew up in the shadow of British control – by 1853, the year of his coronation, Burma had gone through radical changes. The British annexations of Arakan ,

1023-563: Was his brother Kanaung Mintha . In a November 1852 plot to implicate Mindon and Kanaung in a series of robberies by the Myowun of Amarapura, Mindon, Kanaung, and their immediate family and retainers fled to Shwebo , the seat of their ancestor, King Alaungpaya . The war with the British had thus become a two-front war, and the court of Pagan quickly collapsed, with the Myozas of Kyaukmaw and Yenangyaung allowing Mindon and Kanaung to walk into

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1056-577: Was his chief queen and his four chief advisors – the myozas of Magwe, Thalun, Myedaung, and Pahkangyi, the latter being Mindon's former tutor who was given the position as Mindon ascended to the throne. This new government was given oaths of allegiance by the Shan princes, as well as gifts from the Chinese. Immediately following his taking of the throne, Mindon went into a ceasefire with the British, coming into effect on 30 June 1853. Although hostilities with

1089-608: Was one of the most popular and revered kings of Burma because of his role in Fifth Buddhist Council . Under his half brother King Pagan , the Second Anglo-Burmese War in 1852 ended with the annexation of Lower Burma by the British Empire . Mindon and his younger brother Kanaung overthrew their half brother King Pagan. He spent most of his reign trying to defend the upper part of his country from British encroachments, and to modernize his kingdom. Mindon

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